Australia

THE Australian Government last week announced the establishment of a new Urban Policy Forum, calling it another step towards making the nation's biggest cities and regional centres even more productive, sustainable and liveable.

The Forum brings together experts from across all levels of government as well as industry and academia and its central role will be to advise the government on the implementation of the National Urban Policy, released in May last year.

ACCORDING to new research from the Property Council of Australia and ANZ, the NSW and Victorian property markets have been hit by declining confidence, while resource-driven states are increasingly positive.

The latest Property Council-ANZ Property Industry Confidence Survey, released last week, reveals that positive sentiment grew in all states and territories with a strong resource base – the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia.

THE number of dwellings approved in November 2011 increased by 8.4 per cent, in seasonally adjusted terms, following a revised fall of 10.0 per cent in October, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The latest ABS Building Approvals data for November 2011 reveals that dwelling approvals increased for the month of November in Victoria (39.9 per cent), Queensland (6.6 per cent) and New South Wales (2.0 per cent), in seasonally adjusted terms.

THE National Housing Supply Council last week released its 3rd State of Supply Report, finding that there was a shortfall of 28,000 dwellings in 2009-10, producing an estimated cumulative shortage of nearly 187,000 dwellings since June 2001.

State of Supply 2011 updates the Council's estimates of the underlying demand for housing and the supply of dwellings to June 2010 and presents projections of underlying demand and supply over the 20 years to 2030. The report also examines housing affordability trends and considers the factors contributing to Australia's housing shortage.

LOCAL Government Minister Simon Crean last released the report by the independent Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Local Government.

Mr Crean said the government's commitment to recognition of local government in the Constitution was strong and long-held and that the Expert Panel's work would play an important role in informing the community on the issue and assisting the government on the best way forward.

AUSTRALIA'S annual population growth rate has fallen to its lowest level in six years, with the nation growing by 320,800 people or 1.4 per cent, in the year to 30 June 2011, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

According to the data released last week, Western Australia continues to have the fastest growing population in the country, increasing by 2.4 per cent (or 55,800 people) in the year to 30 June 2011.

THE Australian Government last week released the latest report card on the nation's environment, with the tabling of Australia State of the Environment 2011 in Parliament.

The report is the fourth in a series of independent assessments produced and presented to Parliament every five years on Australia's environmental health.

MINISTER for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Tony Burke, last week announced the opening of applications for the Suburban Jobs Program, which aims to provide employment opportunities in the growing outer suburbs of our major capital cities. 

The $45 million Suburban Jobs Program, announced as a measure under the Sustainable Australia - Sustainable Communities Strategy in the 2011-12 Budget, will support local and state governments to plan and help deliver employment opportunities close to residential areas in growing areas of Australia's major capital cities.

THE second and final stage of the Australian Government's study into the economic merits and financial viability of a high speed rail network along Australia's east coast is underway, following the retention of AECOM, the lead author of the interim report.

Over the next 12 months and following a tendering process, AECOM, together with a consortium that includes SKM, ACIL Tasman, Booz & Co, Hyder and Grimshaw Architects, will complete the work it started almost a year ago.

FEDERAL Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Anthony Albanese, this week launched 'Creating Places for People—an urban design protocol for Australian cities', a new tool that aims to improve the quality and useability of the built environment.

Launching the protocol on Wednesday at the State of Australian Cities Conference at the University of Melbourne, Mr Albanese said it would help to produce attractive, high-quality sustainable places in which people will want to live, work and relax.

A DECLINE in dwelling approvals has been recorded for the second consecutive month, with new Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures revealing the number of dwellings approved in October 2011 fell by 10.7 per cent, following a revised fall of 14.2 per cent in September.

Dwelling approvals decreased for the month of October in Queensland (-19.5 per cent), Victoria (-18.0 per cent), Tasmania (-12.8 per cent), South Australia (-3.4 per cent) and New South Wales (-0.4 per cent) but rose in Western Australia (2.1 per cent) in seasonally adjusted terms.

FEDERAL Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Anthony Albanese, this week announced the approval of draft Major Development Plans for Melbourne and Perth airports.

Melbourne Airport's draft Major Development Plan includes a new $26 million athlete's facility to be located on a 10-hectare site, including two ovals, a training and administration building and car parking.